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Welcome to Florida Business Law

Who are we : Just in case you want to know...Mr. Caswell received his MBA and JD degrees with High Honors from Florida State University in 1983. While at Florida State, he was Editor of the Florida State University Law Review and is a member of the Order of the Coif, and Beta Gama Sigma the business honorary society. He earned his undergraduate B.A. degree from Hamilton College in 1976 with a double major in Math/Computer Science and Spanish. Mr. Caswell is also a member of the Sarasota County Bar Association, the Florida Bar, the Georgia Bar (inactive) and the American Bar Association. He is on the Executive Council of the Entertainment, Arts and Sports Law Section of the Florida Bar, and is a member of the Business Law Section and Computer Law Committee (and formerly its Chairman). He has served on the Board of Directors of the Sarasota Committee of One Hundred, and is a founder and former Director and Chairman of the Florida West Coast International Affairs Commission, Inc. He also sings and acts professionally in theaters and cabarets in his free time, but that's another story for another time. Click here if you want a more detailed listing of publications, speeches, background, etc.

Transactions : Transactional law includes a variety of contracts, sales relationships, licensing, international trade and general commercial law. We draft, review and negotiate all types of agreements. Please look at the specific types or areas of law to see the variety of agreements we can help you with. Things you need to know...

Entities : Entity selection in Florida now includes limited liability companies and limited liability partnerships, in addition to the more traditional corporations, trusts and general and limited partnerships. A recent change in the law now removes some important impediments to the use of a limited liability company in Florida . Things you need to know...

Corporate Counsel : What does a corporate counsel do? Well, corporate counsel will provide advice to the entity on a variety of legal issues that arise for the business. Many of these are listed in this site. But counsel should also have some knowledge about the running of a business and maybe even about the business' industry. Things you need to know...

Dispute Resolution : Mr. Caswell is a Certified Circuit Court Mediator and a Mediator for the Florida Bar's Computer Mediation Project and the Sarasota Board of Realtors Mediator Panel. The firm does not engage in litigation (but may be involved in litigation support), but instead focuses on solving problems outside of the court room. Obviously there are some situations where litigation is inevitable, but more often, negotiated or mediated settlements are less financially and emotionally draining, and are reached more quickly than trials and judicial decisions.

Compliance : Do your executives and employees know what actions could result in criminal liability for the officers of business entity? Written policies are the first step towards providing some protection from such liability. Education and compliance with those policies are the second step. If you are a growing company, you need to get those policies in place now. Things you need to know...

Technology / Computer / Cyberlaw: We can assist in all areas of computer, internet, multimedia, and online legal issues. Have you considered who owns your website and its content, who controls access, national and international domain name protection, etc.? Do you know how to minimize your exposure for statements made by employees over computer networks? Are you "spamming" in violation of applicable industry and/or government guidelines? Have you protected trade secrets, or satisfied any requirements for non-disclosure of information and the privacy of customers? As a former Programmer and Systems Analyst, we are familiar with system development procedures and operations, which gives us insight into development contracts and licensing issues. Things you need to know...

Legal Audits : One way that we can assist you in identifying and addressing your legal needs is by "auditing" your company. In the same way that Accountants look at and review your financial records, we can review your contracts, intellectual property and entity policies and records and then advise you of the status of such documentation and provide suggestions for additional protections you should consider incorporating. These audits give us the ability to get to know your business in more detail so we can give you more specific legal advice.

Real Estate : Buying, selling, financing and leasing real estate is an important part of anyone's business. We assist in contract or lease preparation, and perform all closing and title insurance related services. We are licensed agents for Attorneys Title Insurance Fund.

Intellectual Property, Immigration, Securities, Entertainment, Employment, Wills, Trusts and Estates

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